Maritime Ed Luncheon Raises $80K

On Thursday, October 13, 2011, 140 individuals from the maritime community gathered at the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Maritime Education in Houston, TX for the Institute’s annual Maritime Training Benefit Luncheon. The luncheon raised close to $80,000 to support continuing maritime education programs at the Institute’s training centers in Paducah, KY and Houston, TX.

Many of the maritime industry companies who work with SCI to train at the Houston Center attended the benefit luncheon. Partners at the event included representatives from the petro-chemical transportation industry, barge companies, maritime insurance, maritime simulation industry, pilot associations, classification societies, and bunker companies. Kirby Corporation, a major tank barge operator in the United States, sponsored the luncheon. Its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph H. Pyne, chaired the event.

The Rev. David M. Rider, SCI’s President & Executive Director, offered this year’s keynote address. Rider presented a talk entitled “Caring for Seafarers Affected by Piracy” based on developments in SCI’s clinical study of the effects of piracy on seafarers. A revised version of the study’s Guidelines (ver. 3.0) addresses medical confidentiality for seafarer treatment, including the need to separate clinical privacy from examinations of fitness for duty. The newly published Guidelines also anticipate significant cross-cultural issues regarding access to—and trust of—medical professionals, along with the challenges of follow-up treatment when the seafarer is repatriated home.

Special Events are an important source of funding for the Seamen’s Church Institute's programs. If you would like to receive information or invitations to our events, please email SCI's Special Events Manager or telephone 212-349-9090 x246.